Roberts found
Emera’s Rick Janega and Nalcor’s Stan Marshall in a celebratory mood about the savings
opportunity available from “displacing costly Holyrood power by importing
electricity from the Maritimes”.

The CBC
story caught my attention because it has some understated and missing pieces.

The completion
of the ML might result in some short-term savings — for just three or four months. But by year's end, the Labrador Island Link (LIL) will
be also be ready, if Stan Marshall is to be believed. This event will allow transmission to the Island of the unused portion of the Recall power from
the Upper Churchill. But the commissioning will also trigger a levy on ratepayers for a large portion of
the debt raised to build the Muskrat Falls project.

There is another obstacle overlapping
the unwarranted euphoria suffered by Stan Marshall. Any hope of “savings” will likely be buried by the impending
decision of Nova Scotia’s UARB. That Board will decide whether Nova Scotians will pick up any of the
costs ($162 million in 2018 and $164 million in 2019) arising from the delay in
supplying the Nova Scotia Block (167 MW of “free” power).

So, rather
than savings from the import of the Maritimes’ power, Nalcor can be expected to
pick up at least half of those costs, and possibly more, depending on how Emera
pursues “time is of the essence” clauses in the contracts.

Two other
items are worth noting.

Terry Roberts
reported Nalcor stating that importing electricity from the Maritimes would
happen only if “… it can be purchased cheaper than power generated at Holyrood, which burns roughly 18,000 barrels of oil a
day at peak production.”(Emphasis added)

It may be
true that “at peak production” Holyrood burns “18,000 barrels of oil a day”. But
the figure is also misleading. Nalcor used that number relentlessly to make the
“greens” go giddy, many of them forgetting that the cost of further Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions, in a place "green" by any international standard, ought to have been weighed against the human cost of
people freezing in the dark. An uninformed media tends to run with those
statistics unfiltered. But blogger Maurice Adams has never endeared himself to Nalcor's propaganda.

Adams writes
the Vision 2041 Blog. He has tracked a good many of Nalcor's statistics over the
years and is fond of reminding people that “Holyrood is needed to operate at
capacity for less than 1 week per year — 1.6% of the time.” He adds that
“over the last 10 years Holyrood [provided] on average only about 13% of the
island’s [power] needs…”

And if you
think that the origins of Nalcor’s demand projections should not be
investigated (Nalcor admits pre-sanction demand will now not be reached until
2036) — along with such matters as the project estimates — Adams will remind
you that:

Even with Vale's nickel processing
plant, at no time over the 15 year period (from 2001-2015) did our total island
energy use exceed our all-time high (which occurred in 2004). And by 2015 (even
with Vale's nickel processing plant) we were still about 1% below our peak and
7% below our 15 year average.

The report of
an anonymous engineer about falsification of project estimates didn’t exactly instigate
a riot in our “Tahrir Square”, so why would anyone care that Nalcor gilds the
lily every chance it gets with a reporter?

Good
question.

But it is
still worth bearing in mind that the critters at Nalcor, without the oversight
which Premier Ball promised, will say whatever justifies the current circumstance.

Indeed, what
member of the public didn’t note Nalcor VP Jim Keating’s retreat, last week,
after two Associate Professors in Memorial’s Engineering Faculty called out Nalcor’s
dismissiveness about the role it may have played in the flooding of Mud Lake?

Smugness
doesn’t wear well even on the practiced.

But back to
the CBC article.

There is one
sentence in the item that ought to have had the reporter — and the public — looking
for a source not of GHG reduction but of oxygen.

It was
uttered by ‘Stan the Man’. The story read: “Marshall said in March that Nalcor
earns about two cents per kilowatt hour
on the spot market, while power generation at Holyrood costs roughly 12
cents” (emphasis added).

OK, take a deep
breath… And another one… Ratchet the oxygen up to 100% if you need to. You might
feel better but, of course, it won’t last.

Two cents
per kWh! And the figure got totally obscured.

Two cents is
the price Nalcor is getting, now, from Hydro Quebec, which markets the unused portion
of the 300 MW of Recall power from the Upper Churchill. It is roughly what
surplus Muskrat Falls power will be worth, too.

Remember
when Danny Williams and Kathy Dunderdale spoke in not-so-dulcet tones about all
the extra money Nalcor was going to make in the New England Spot Market?

Former
Premier Tom Marshall hyperventilated on the Open Line Shows, so giddy was he
over the hundreds of millions the province would be make off Muskrat.

The media
didn’t do the math then — or since.

All the “naysayers”
had to do was to Google “ISO New England” (the electricity website of the New
England States) but the truth became noise swallowed by “good news” — even if
it was untruthful.

The CBC article
omits not just the teensy-weensy period — if any — of savings, it talks about
Holyrood power costing 12 cents per kWh. That’s the cheap stuff.

What’s 2
cents against the 55 cents per kWh for Muskrat power (Nalcor’s figure)…north
of that number as cost overruns continue to rise.

Even on a
“blended” basis— mixed with the price of hydro on the island – the power will
cost 21.4 cents per kWh (higher as the cost of Muskrat exceeds $11.4 billion).

Two cents
per kWh! The real story in the
article was forgotten!

Anyone still
for Gull Island?

Gil Bennett
is. You, too, Paul Davis?

As for
reporter Terry Roberts, it’s great to see that CBC is finally getting onto the
Muskrat Falls fiasco. But, as much as everyone likes a good news story, this is
not fertile ground.

All the
sadder is that whatever Nalcor says can’t be believed.

Six years of
half-truths — and lots of lies and falsification — just haven’t left any
room for the CBC, or any other media, to omit or even be loose with the facts.

____________________________________________________________________

Editor's Note: Most people don't believe the cost per kWh of Muskrat Falls power, likely because Nalcor has always blended the figure with current rates — which represent mostly hydro power generated at Bay d'Espoir, Cat Arm, and other sites on the Island — for which the capital cost has been paid. 55.49 cents per kWh is the unblended rate needed to repay the June 2016 estimate of $11.4 billion and provide Nalcor a return on equity required under the terms of the Federal Loan Guarantee. Since that figure was released, the price tag on Muskrat has again jumped by $300 million as a result of a $700-800 million overrun on the Astaldi contract.

One minor correction. Since about 2009 recall power from CF ceased to be marketed by Hydro Quebec and power was then for the first time 'wheeled' over the Quebec grid and sold on the spot through a contract with Emera. Then premier Williams declared that we had taken a bite out of the big apple but realistically at 130 megawatts it was merely a nibble. This at the time appeared to be the old foot in the door trick from which we attempted to follow with the entire production of the lower river. Disputes with HQ followed and here we are endowed with the virtues of the maritime route.

The `virtues` of the Maritime route includes the fact that Muskrat Power does NOT go directly to Nova Scotia. The LESS RELIABLE Muskrat Power comes entirely to Soldiers Pond near St John`s, where it offsets on average 350 MW of Holyrood power, leaving a balance of just 200 MW of Muskrat power (average, less transmission losses from Muskrat is about 500MW). This 200 Mw remaining from Muskrat also feed the Avalon, but frees up 200 Mw of island power coming to St Johns. Our MORE reliable and low cost island power goes to Nova Scotia, not the Muskrat Power. In summertime, when St Johns`s loads are low,occasionally there may be a little Muskrat surplus not needed on the Avalon and can supplement our island power going to Nova Scotia, but even then,by far mostly island power. So what difference does it make.......1. Reliability of our power on the Avalon will be reduced2. Emera, now the majority owner of the Labrador cable link, profits from Labrador power coming to the Avalon. Yet the media still uses the language of Muskrat power mainly going to Nova Scotia. There is a big difference.Does even the media understand the difference...........Winston

I'd like to think those running for any public office would not only have the publics interests at heart but also be qualified enough to make smart decisions. The more this unfolds, costs escalate, and secrecy continues, it makes one wonder if all those involved with MuskratFAILS are just really under-qualified, or corrupt.Where's the opposition on this? Oh,wait... they were the original architects. Ball missed his chance to step up and he and Coady are now married to any fallout of this fiasco too. I don't even hear the NDP ranting. If ever there was a time the NDP could gain traction/public support it would be now. There was more fuss over library closures from the public and both opposition parties than seeing how a project could be so mismanaged. Sad.

The entire Nalcor Mafia is pulling for Gull Island. They have a passive chump that will swallow whatever the lie of the day is. They have lied their way to Muskrat sanction, have destroyed democratic oversight, have a compromised partner in Ottawa with the loan guarantee and have all NL political parties as co-conspirators. Why would they want to stop the madness after all the work and perversion of democracy?

They already claim that Gull Island is really the cherry on the cake on the Churchill wet dream of energy independence and profitability. Forget that the wheeling costs to markets are higher than the spot market value. Forget that NL is not FERC compliant and no market in New England exists. Forget the lies and secrecy around engineering despite the evidence of incompetence that have emerged on this blog.

Unless Nalcor is reined in and oversight and transparency is restored expect lies that Gull Island is salvation for Nalcor.

The public outcry over the ludicrous and humiliating MF debacle will not happen until the increased power bills start coming in. Then we will demand that governments do something to "save" us. We have never been concerned about government overspending as long as we see money being spent on us, no matter the consequences. We are as guilty as the politicians who spend to get reelected because we will never say hold - enough, when money is being doled out. But when it actually happens and libraries close, hospital beds close, fish plants close, and mustard pickles are no more, we cry foul and look to be saved. When,in fact, we really need to be saved from ourselves! JDW

JDW,you're spot on. Those NLers who are saying nothing are in for a very rude awakening. I suspect that they are expecting to be subsidized which will in turn drive up my electricity bill and taxes to pay for the subsidization. One way or another, we will pay dearly for Danny's dream.I'd like the media to do interviews with politicians (most especially PC politicians who were there when MF was conceived and sanctioned) to get their "take" on The whole mess. We need the likes of David Cochrane and Anthony Germain (who actually do their homework) be willing to interview those who were involved ,including Williams and not be afraid of his venom.

Hey Anonymous/JDW .... this is the single best (and most truthful) thing I have ever read on this blog. Our addition to the government teat is our collective undoing. Time for us all to individually wean ourselves off.

A high voltage DC to AC conversion station is not a trivial thing. There are massive Thyristors, transformers and smoothing reactors and the components are usually from some large corporation like ABB. Are we going to stock some spares for custom components or have them installed in some sort of cold spare configuration? If not and something breaks, we are looking at extended downtime, especially if it has to be manufactured for us.

There is also the possibility of the underwater links failing. Consider the island of Tasmania. "A tear "the size of a human thumb" was responsible for shutting the cable down for more than three months and was a "one-off" event, according to Basslink operators." Surely, the same thing will happen to us eventually.

So, if we lose the DC/AC converter or have a failure in the link to Labrador, what is the plan? Do we give Nova Scotia an IOU for the lost power or do we have to give them Bay d'Espoir power while we run exclusive off the Holyrood plant?

I'd like to see the disaster recovery plans as well as the budget for spare parts.

On the subject of underground cables - lemme see if I follow - We give NS 20% of MF capacity (which will be significantly more than 20% of reliable production) for free for 35 years and we give them an option on another (is it 40%) tranche of power at market rates (probably less than 10% of our cost). In return we get to keep the underwater cable in 35 years. Now as far as I know, the useful life of an undersea cable is somewhere between 30 and 40 years. Is that the deal? Really? I must be missing something -

Stability and reliability will come with the interconnection with the NA grid. Chasing the MW is a fun game. Whatever it is it is. You are stuck with paying off whatever the final debts are. People have a choice where to live in this country and pay whatever rates are available. Vote for someone else, I doubt it matters. The donations from corporations go to both major parties. When it comes time for election again, oil will be back to 80 dollars, iron ore is expected back by '19, and all the labour disputes dealt with. Whether its Ball or another savior from Ottawa getting involved in provincial politics to secure a senate seat (simms), means nothing. The HVP issue will likely be dealt with in the election year to tarnish the davis replacement.WTF? Get in the streets and have a dispute. Otherwise you are wasting your time. Formal letters and requests for meetings are resolutions to disputes. Have a dispute first and maybe your Government will stop and deal with its debts. If your bellies are full, civility will rule. And everyone will stay home and read facebook.More farts in the wind...

Anthony Germain asked this morning in CBC radio if we thought that a forensic audit was need to get to the bottom of the bad estimates. This seems like damage control by limiting the scope to something that could be blamed on incompetence. A forensic audit is needed for far more than that: bribes, blackmail, sole sourced secret contracts, suspected conflicts of interests like Cathy's involvement in Sunny Corner Enterprises, SNC (history of corruption worldwide), outright lies intended to get sanction, violation of the public trust and much more. Rather than enjoying their millions in the Cayman Islands like John Felderhof (Bri-X gold mining scandal), I'd like see those responsible for this serving hard time. I'm not holding my breath though -- Ed, Danny and others will be able to enjoy their ill gotten gains in luxurious exile.

My guess is that there won't be a revolt until the power bills double and that the government will simply fund it from general revenue to prevent this from happening. The sociopaths have likely already won.

Incompetence can only go so far. Well before sanctioning, many of the issues discussed on here had been brought to Nalcor's, the governement, and the medias attention... and by many who contribute here. Everything bad about this project has been tabled for years. Turning a blind eye is not incompetence. At this point, corruption must be the logical reason for such negligence. I'd like a forensic audit to know how many knew the serious financial implications this would have on our people and when it became apparent. If I am expected to pay 21.4 cents per kWh (likely more), I surely deserve to know that much.dm

A forensic audit digging into all of the above is crying out to be conducted. It's criminal the way we are being treated by Nalcor and Government. Have we no protection whatsoever?There has to be a legal way to confront Nalcor and Government. J---s we're being hung out to dry and the only people saying anything are a few bloggers on this site!

From the independent: controversy and conflict of interest stories like Ms. Bennett, who in her former role as chair of Nalcor’s board of directors began to negotiate a deal with New Brunswick company Sunny Corner Enterprises, which reportedly did millions in business with Nalcor, before recusing herself from the meetings; then, four months after stepping down from Nalcor’s board, she purchased shares in that same company.

There was a link to a story in the telegram http://www.thetelegram.com/news/local/2014/5/20/bennett-says-she-knew-nalcor-had-conflic-3732036.html but it appears to have been scrubbed.

Comments indicate readers are getting a little hot under the collars today.....about time. Today`s Telegram news:1. White Rose is to proceed.......good news for some, but our 12 billion from Hibernia is gone into a sink hole at Muskrat, so not much to celebrate on White Rose. I prefer that oil production be cut back, mitigate global warming, and help drive back those green mean crab, and restore conditions for caplin and cod.2. Russell at the Telly, meanwhile, writes about the 8.5 percent rate increase for July and another 9 or 10 percent by March.......and these are not even Muskrat related........so talk about shock rates to come.....

Surely the negative of the power rate hike story outweigh the White Rose story , for most. But rather late for Russell to warn us about shock rates.......who has not preached that on this blog for almost 5 years now. And indeed, only shock rates will shock the public. We even have some technical people getting engaged now ( the comment on AC to DC technology and the perils of long term outages.....) , all known by the power companies and ignored 5 years ago. Man.......are we in deep doo doo. I seem to recall one of Ray Guy`s last pieces referring to Dunderdale knee deep in mud. Russell, who worked with and admired Guy, thinks someone of Guy`s talent would not be appreciated these days. I say, if only we had Guy, we could at least get a little satisfaction from the mess these sleeveens as has saddled us with.I guess Saltwire has no funds for the crafts and courage of a would be Guy. Not in their platform budget for profit. Pity.Winston Adams

Thanks Robert for the reminder: I just googled Ecology Action Centre , as I came across it in investigating Nova Scotia's Efficiency Nova Scotia, and the years of their input leading up to that, and I believe , you , Robert has mentioned them before. I just reviewed their financial statements etc. They are a group, set up as a non-profit, on issues of the ecology, environment climate change, energy efficiency etc. Boy............are we backward here in Nfld. I graduated in engineering in 1971.......46 years ago. That same year Ecology Action Centre was set up in Nova Scotia........they now have a staff of 35 and 4500 members. It is a Nova Scotia organization. In 1979, I bought a gas guzzling Corvette. In 2005 I bought a Prius hybrid. I now look forward to a all electric car. I have a heatpump installed. Ithink of my grandchildren and the world we leave behind. My outlook has changed. I expect I am not alone. On this day of celebration of the White Rose development, I see this as a contribution to more wild and unpredictable weather, and more mean green crab..........not a happy day. And more of Ball kicking the can down the road with our debt problem......hoping oil will save us. We, in this province has ignored the prudent actions of other jurisdiction and let our government waste 12 billion dollars in Muskrat Falls. We have no organized group like EAC. EAC financial data:for 2016Revenue 2.4 millionMembers 4500 Membership fees 429,000.00........so about 100.00 per yeartravel expenses 6300.00staff wages and benefits 554,000.00 so about avg 15,800 eanet worth ; 160,000.00 Year end: 12,211.00 surplus. They have had awards for one of the best run non profits in Canada.I suggest readers check out their website. Do we need something similar here? Long overdue I suggest. If we had an EAC we might have avoided Muskrat.......and other boondoogles waiting. What do UG readers think? Robert says "Citizens wake up" Can we get an amen to that? Can we get some names on this blog who think Robert's suggestion is a good one?Winston Adams

Why not simply set up a NL branch of Ecology Action? Like-minded people in NL can tap into the resources of EA. It covers a wide range of natural science interests from ocean, land and atmosphere, community social action at the grass roots. They have a website to Google.

I agree with everything being said here...and I am speechless except to say "what a mess!". Like winston I have taken some things into my own hands and I think of my daughter when I realize that someday I will leave a newfoundland legacy behind that she will pay for. With no conservation measures except measly take charge rebates it is a horrible time to live in NL. The public in general are in the belief that there will be a bail out and that there is no way that people will have to pay for power rates that high. I keep telling them they are in for a rude awakening. I also cringe when I go by the new homes being constructed to horrible energy standards with half of their north faces open with large glazings because thats what people want. Its funny that we "need" more energy when so much could have gone into conservation first. We haven't even adopted the National Energy Building Code of Canada...

For those of you that want to see conservation and energy efficient building in action check out my blog. I am building the first PHIUS+ 2015 home in Newfoundland. flatrockpassivehouse.blogspot.com

Russell at the Telegram writes this morning on `There`s more to politics that razzle -dazzle`. I like Russell`s writing most of the time. Especially the way he describes the sight and sound of nature. Most of todays piece describes an abandoned beaver dam, now a swamp like area, that he came across on one of his many walks into our natural environment. These walks seems to rekindle his energy and clear his mind. Des Sullivan prefers the kayak in our northern Labrador region. Russell finishes up by saying `I`m good at some of the things I do, does that make me a shoo-in for swamp draining or dam building. Of course it doesn`t` A good writer, Russell. At times almost as good as Des Sullivan, sometimes better. Russell reference to dam building and the beaver........well,.......to me a reference to the Muskrat Falls boondoggle. He is making a point. Russell correctly suggests he is not an expert in dam building, or the many aspects of the false assumptions that has led to that potential swamp. Of course the beaver, left alone, improves their natural environment, not only for themselves , but for other species. And they are effective at controlling the waters. Russell, may not be an expert in the technical fields, but he has the intellect and ability to reason, to put informed analysis behind his opinions. He can seek out alternative expert opinion rather than blindly accept the PR of self professed world class experts that got us into this Muskrat mess. That is where Russell has let us down. Too much opinion, too little seeking assistance for in-depth analysis. He is capable of better informing his readers, me thinks. Winston Adams

Following the Sprung fiasco of the late 1980s there was a Royal Commission to look into the affair. And that was after some $20 million had been misspent on growing cucumbers. It was Brian Peckford’s folly for which he will be remembered, in many quarters, with derision. Nevertheless, he should also be remembered as one of those responsible for the Atlantic Accord which was the greatest governmental accomplishment in our provincial history. No premier has achieved anything remotely close. $20 M then was a considerable sum but nowhere near $11B. The Commission under Justice O'Regan found government reckless in not listening to the advice of its own senior civil servants and completely ignorant of the project’s economic viability resulting in taxpayers’ money accomplishing nothing more than lighting up the night skies of Mt. Pearl and the west end. And today we sit with our thumbs up our arse while Rome burns – pardon the butchered metaphor. An audit at the very least is required to investigate the source of the low-ball estimates at start-up. Citizens of this province and perhaps of this country deserve an inquiry into this debacle. But we are comfortable and complacent yet. Perhaps if the North Spur was closer to the north-east Avalon the whole damn thing would be halted. JDW

The nub is that under Peckford it was "forever offshore". A general neglect of natural renewable resources; Forestry, Fishery, Agri-business, etc. was sacrificed for the petroleum dream. It is not surprising then that no long range energy needs, use, based on renewables was ever developed, following OPEC and other global energy wakeups . This myopic view of NL's future within the National power grid seems to perpetuate, with the current stock of political/corporate leadership. Are there no Greens left at MUN, and round the Bay?

There's no desire by public office past and present to investigate because there are too many to be implicated. The secrecy coupled with the deceit we already know warrants nothing less than a forensic audit.dm

Carbon tax........anyone interested!Todays Telegram editorial titled `Start making sense`.....suggests the Premier talks nonsense, or at least beats around the bush with no clarity. Making sense is one thing Muskrat never did. The issue here is in regard to the carbon tax and the White Rose project. Reading the tangled reply to the question asked by the opposition in the House, one can conclude that the carbon tax is part of the White Rose operations. That suggests it will be company write off as an expense, and therefore will defer profits and royalities to the province. The editorial asks : `Seriously, we`re paying for this! The Premier says `the carbon tax can be used a the discretion of the government. If we want to work with industry we can work with industry`. Is this written into the agreement! Does this mean that this tax, instead to going to households for measures to help reduce energy use and mitigate climate change, it can be handed back to the oil industry, for their improvements to reduce their carbon footprint, and so push ahead with more oil extraction. That is a direct benefit to big oil, not the residents here. The Premier`s response was described as a `word salad`. Most of the talk on CNN today is on climate change, whether Trump will pull out of the Paris Climate agreement. Should we not demand that the carbon tax be fed back to citizens for measures to reduce fossil fuel use.......instead of more subsidy to big oil! Good to see Russell at the Telegram look for clarity on this.Winston Adams

Absolutely, think of carbon tax as a tax against pollution, and the funds received were always meant to re-engineer existing fossil fuel plant to reduce dependence on polluting fuels. Don't permit your government to use it as "discretionary". This is one way Ecology Action NS was able to leverage programs to reduce dependence on dirty fuels.

Carbon tax receipts in NL could start with financing the re-engineering say of MUN campus heating and ventilation. Reducing power, (oil turbines), and heating, (oil), consumption at MUN by 50%, has some real benefits efficiencies, and operating costs, as well as reducing the carbon footprint.

Here in lies the political hypocrisy of our time. We have politicians who approve pipelines to increase oil production and their economic benefits and approve of new oil extraction projects and praise their advancement while at the same time putting a tax on the use of carbon to save the planet for future generations, go figure!!???!!!

A sudden halt and complete stop of fossil fuel burning would put us into darkness and destruction of our economy. But a urgent need to step up the process and wean off fossil fuel is well past due.But actions smacks of hypocrisy. It is questionable whether it is too late already , with feedback effects from permafrost melting and methane discharges kicking in. The mean green crab marches on, destroying our lobster.......but , Hey, 800 jobs for Argentia area, maybe a few house for Galway, and more reduction for the cod and caplin and crab fishery. Meanwhile our MHAs today contradulated themselves on the good job all 3 parties have done, and took a 6 months holiday, so all is well, Muskrat is on track (sure) and our our skyrocket debt......no more questions until November......and the MF oversight committee......the OC is too busy being busy to report to the the citizens. We are down in the rabbit hole. By November we will need to build a bigger jail for the Muskrat protectors, as the courts punish and make criminals one by one of citizens there. Has Ball ever visited the coastal communities there......as our sole minister of aboriginal affairs.......to listen and learn.......shameful neglect going on.....structural racism, I believe. We are soon to celebrate our 150 anniversary as Canada, and the Micmac I learn yesterday have roots going back some 13,000 years!Not much to celebrate for aboriginals.We can claim the original tittle of Redskin, I suppose , from the Beothic. I oppose sending back the skulls of Mary March and her husband. We are not ready for that, I suggest. They are safer kept in Scotland, brought there by Cormack in the 1820s. I we can`t find funds for a hospital in Cormer Brook, or a new Waterford hospital, or new penitentiary which has been around since the mid 1800s, what kind of safe museum will house the skulls of the Beothic that we wiped out, one way or another.

The effects of the burning of fossil fuels upon greenhouse gas accumulation and as a minor player in climate change is unproven, to say the least. We must not allow politicians to increase taxes by fear mongering based upon suspect science, remember acid rain and the CFC thing. And the beat goes on....

Surely you jest! You or your family members must have shares in the oil and gas industry. To suggest that fossil fuel burning is not contributing to global warming (or not proven to be contributing)is reckless to say the least. Wake up!

Whenever anyone warns about fossil fuel and climate change, you can expect a pop up to say bad science and nonsense.Someone must be serching all sights for the words climate change and insert the comment. Yet nearly 100 percent of the science experts agree to the effect and even Mobil Oil is in agreement with the Paris Climate Accord. Ex CEO pf Mobil, now Trumps Secretary of State says stick with the Paris accord. And acid rain had to do with sulfur content in oil burning. Acid rain was less of a problem with removing sulfur, and CFC had to to do with the hole in the ozone in the Antartic etc, which was stopped from getting worse with the Montreal protocol on ozone depletion. Wake up indeed, science was right on both of those and solutions found........deny science at your peril.........Hitler kicked out Einstein, who helped develop the nuclear bomb..........imagine if Hilter paid more attention to science. Roosevelt paid attention. Will Trump be a Roosevelt ( the Manhatten Project) or a Hitler. We will now within days. Probably neither......maybe he will go along with the Paris agreement and scuttle attempts to make progress.WA

You are wrong on every count whoever you are. Carbon from fossil fuels heats the planet. It is physics and has been beyond doubt for decades. Wake up!

Politicians worked with stakeholders (industry and NGO's) and solved CFC's and acid rain with international agreements. Action responding to real problems solved these issues. You seem to act like they were a hoax and disappeared on their own. Is Trump your hero creating alternative realities as you go along?

And the science to support it is? A picture of a melting glacier calving icebergs placed side by side with a picture of an industrial smoke stack or the tailpipe of a car on a cold day, right! Can you name the 100% of experts from the expert list who support this? Did you say Al Gore?

Bruno, our views are very similar.......must be our love of Lennon!But ever notice how efficient the oil industry is.......Here, oil is hundreds of miles offshore. Many billions for gravity rigs and exploration and operation costs. Helicopters fly over my home on Logy Bay regular. Oil is then shipped away for refining, then back again to the local gas station.Workers on and offshore make a fortune, I have two relatives in the industry. The industry is very efficient given all that, as gas here is about 1.22 a litre and going down 10 cents tomorrow. Meanwhile, half a mile from my house is a dairy farm. Cows are very poorly compensated, minimum wage! Yet milk is twice the cost of gas......and no one complains. I used to think milk was good. My fridge has two types , white with 8 grams of sugar per cup, almost 2 teaspoons, and chocolate, with 27 grams, over 5 teaspoons per cup. Sugar, to preserve it for 2 weeks I suppose. As a child we got milk from a neighbour, and scalded it, and had no sugar as far as I know. Now if the oil industry was as inefficient as Nalcor, CO2 would likely drop............gas would be 15 bucks per gallon.WA

About Des Sullivan

Uncle Gnarley is written by Des Sullivan, of St. John's.
He is a businessman engaged in real estate, retail and development companies.
A Director of Sullivan Capital Corporation, he is a former Executive Assistant to Premier's Frank D. Moores (1975-1979)and Brian Peckford (1979-1985).
He also served as a Part-Time Board Member on the Canada-Newfoundland Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB).
Uncle Gnarley permitted the use of his highly regarded name provided he could have full access to state his own rather unequivocable opinions. (A more detailed Profile of Uncle Gnarley is described in the very first Post entitled "Uncle Gnarley is alive and well" found on this site.
Sullivan is a firm advocate of sound fiscal management by the provincial government and intends to use this Site as a forum for commentary on the major issues of the day. Says Sullivan, "Newfoundland and Labrador inspires debate on a variety of issues, a veritable Muskrat Falls of opinion".
Readers are invited to leave their opinions, too.
Uncle Gnarley will post every Monday, and more often as events warrant.